Let’s talk about LOVE

‘Tis the season of love…we asked 5 super cool Hamiltonians to share their dating experiences and tips in time for Valentine’s Day.

Worst date ever:

“We met online. He seemed super smart and funny. We met at a local restaurant and said our hellos, he was handsome and charming. The server brought our menus and asked us if we wanted a drink…I obviously did and asked him if he wanted to get a bottle of wine…he declined, telling me he didn’t drink. The server looks to me awkwardly (she could see the confusion in my eyes) and decided to tell us the features to give me a chance to make get my order together. After she was done, he asked her what vegan options they had.I said “you’re a vegan?” He confirmed with a smile and a nod. I excused myself from the table politely, apologizing to the server (she totally knew why I was leaving) and telling him that “we had made a huge mistake.” I left and met a friend for a bottle of wine and a steak to tell the tale.” – Erin Dunham, The Other Bird

The psychopath test:

“When I met my now-husband’s father, he administered the psychopath test (which you can take for yourself here). I passed the test, revealing myself as a psychopath. I remember the sound of my father-in-law’s palm hitting his face. I left shortly after, but not before my guy’s mom tried to comfort me by saying a lot of psychopaths were very successful. “Many CEOs are psychopaths,” she told me as she ushered me out the door. Luckily, the psychopath test has been debunked which means I’m almost certainly not a psychopath, I’m just terrible at first impressions and amazing at taking tests.” – J.C. Villamere, Author of Is Canada Even Real? How a Nation Built on Hobos, Beavers, Hip Hop and Weirdos Taught the World to Beliebe

Friendly advice:

“There are a plethora of topics to choose from for this piece. I mean, I’m currently single, I’ve had some pretty funny moments on dates and there are an innumerable number of great places in Hamilton to have your first date. But I’ve covered those all in the media before so I want to take this opportunity to offer some friendly advice, to guys specifically, about first dates. First off, don’t enter the dating pool until you are comfortably in love with yourself. Until you’ve achieved the inner peace that goes along with being content with who you are, you are functionally useless as a partner. Understand that one of the most important pieces of the love puzzle is self love. And it is always, always the first piece. Secondly, listen more than you speak. This may seem obvious to most, but it is a foreign concept to some. It is also the main complaint I hear from women. You will have more than enough opportunity to talk about yourself, and if you’re interesting enough she’ll have tons of questions. Finally, if you like her and want to kiss her at the end of the date, ask her permission to do so. Not only because it’s respectful, but it’s adorable as hell. And right now, this world definitely needs more cuteness and charm.” – Kyle Andrew, The Bachelorette Canada – Season 1

Exciting moments:

“My story is about those exciting moments in the beginning of a relationship. I knew I had a crush on Nikhil but wasn’t sure how he felt about me. One day I was at my shop, Girl on the Wing, working on my holiday window display. Nikhil stopped by to say hi and when he saw what I was doing he offered to help. We ended up working away for hours and building a super intricate window display with eachother and I remember thinking how comfortable it felt. We just had such an ease to our interactions and although we were just getting to know eachother, it felt so natural. I noticed his phone kept dinging with text messages and missed calls, and I assumed it was just because he was popular. I found out later that it was actually his birthday that day and he was receiving ‘happy birthday’ greetings from his friends and family the entire time. He never mentioned to me it was his day, just kept working away by my side.” – Whitney McMeekin, Girl on the Wing

Tips for your first Tinder date:

“Hamilton, Ontario is one of the most multicultural and diverse cities in Canada! Anyone looking for that ‘special someone’ or an opportunity to meet unique and interesting people — #HamOnt is for you! When going on your first Tinder date, I highly recommend checking out Sarcoa or Baranga’s on the Beach — two of the best patio restaurants in the city! Besides having a great menu and a beautiful lakefront view, these two restaurants are also excellent because their entrances/exits are located a significant distance away from their dining areas! This gives you the freedom to escape undetected at any time, in case your Tinder date (which is likely from Toronto, because all Hamiltonians are incredible) turns out to be a flop! Now, I am absolutely not condoning ever ditching a date, BUT, if you suspect that you may be getting “cat-fished”, then these are your ‘go-to’ first date restaurants!

Now, if this person could be a potential bae, I suggest having a post-meal walk and ice cream by Hamilton Harbour. Ice cream says a lot about a person’s personality! For example, people who order ‘super kid’, or anything multi-coloured, tend to be a little crazy and have quite the wild side. If they ask for anything “extra”, (like peanuts, caramel, or sprinkles) you may be dealing with a drama queen/king…What is the best ice cream choice? Nobody can say anything negative about a classic OG hot-fudge sundae. It says you’re adventurous, yet sophisticated. Avoid adding peanuts — 1 in 7 people are severely allergic to peanuts! *I would definitely recommend not killing your date*. Overall, Hamilton is a great place to meet someone incredible! Have fun, be careful when swiping right, and always ensure you have fresh breath — nobody wants to kiss someone with turd breath. Happy Valentine’s Day. –Dre Pao, www.DrePaoMusic.com